Imagine the great state of Kansas as a leader in job growth, education, and fiscal responsibility.

We believe this dream can become reality. And the first step is Kansans such as yourselves reaching out to friends and family about what we need from our elected leaders.

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What You Can Do

The most important thing you can do is to tell us your story. How do you feel about the student achievement in Kansas? Do you wish you had more options for educating your children? How has the economy been in your city or town? Can you and your neighbors afford more taxes? Or have you had enough of government spending?

Email us your story at MyKansasStory@kansaspolicy.org[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_accordion][x_accordion_item title=”1. We Need Action Now” open=”true”]Kansas has a chance to change the national debate on how smart state spending can lead to prosperity. Mistakes were made in the past with our budget and we cannot afford to make the same mistakes again. But we need your help.

The story of government accountability and efficiency is being drowned out by some politicians and special interests who are trumpeting the recent budget problems to
ASK FOR EVEN MORE TAXES AND SPENDING.

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The Better Together movement believes there is a better way forward when we all work together. Kansans made their voice clear recently with a resounding “NO” when asked if they wanted new income taxes on citizens.

We must work together from both sides of the aisle and listen to ALL KANSANS to form policies based on efficient, effective outcomes.

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We need to speak with one voice and ask our elected officials to balance the budget by being smarter about how we spend our hard-earned tax dollars. Kansas can get better if we work together. We believe that the decisions make inside the capitol need to benefit everyone across the state of Kansas, not just a few.

Working together, Kansas can have high quality services without the tax increases that would hurt the economy and taxpayer wallets.

Taxes and Spending. Governor Brownback’s budget proposal for this year and the coming two years contains both positives and negatives. Let us break it down for you.

The good – You will find significant efficiency measures. Medicare expansion of Medicaid through Obamacare is avoided – which is especially smart since Obamacare will likely change under the Trump administration. The state is finally moving toward having a structurally balanced budget.

The bad– You will find new tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol. Passive rent and royalty income will be taxed at prevailing individual tax rates beginning in FY 2018; that passive income was not taxed previously as part of the exemption on pass-through income passed in 2012. Deferring a payment to the state retirement system (KPERS) and continuing the decades-long practice of paying less into KPERS than actuarially required is also included in the budget.